This document outlines the objectives, structure, and progress of a project to improve governance of transboundary aquifers. The project aims to enhance cooperation and water security for three aquifers: the Trifinio Aquifer between El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; the Pretashkent Aquifer between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; and the Stampriet Aquifer between Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The project will assess the aquifers, strengthen country cooperation, and develop long-term management strategies through a two-component approach of building scientific understanding and reaching agreements on governance.

1. GROUNDWATER RESOURCE
GOVERNANCE IN TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFERS: Background, history,
objectives, structure and progress
Ivica Trumbic
Project Manager

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING
• To formally launch the project and update all parties on the
progress of the project’s implementation;
• To ensure that all parties are familiar with the objectives, activities,
budget, deliverables and approach to the implementation of the
project;
• To present the roles, functions, and responsibilities of project’s
stakeholders, project’s Country Focal Points (CFPs) and other
project partners;
• To present a preliminary estimate of the current state of data
availability and ownership, required harmonization, and formatting;
• To discuss the assessment methodology and provide ideas for its
adaptation to local conditions, including potential identification of
additional, aquifer specific, indicators and potential field works
(limited);
• To present, discuss, amend if needed, and adopt the project's
overall workplan; and
• To agree on next steps and project milestones.

3. BASIC FACTS
• Water Diplomacy Cluster of Swiss Development
Cooperation (SDC)
• 3 aquifers: Central America (Trifinio), Central Asia
(Pretashkent), Southern Africa (Stampriet)
• 8 countries
• Project targets:
– Improve knowledge and recognition of importance
and vulnerability of TBAs
– Enhance cooperation and water security
• Two components

4. WHY THIS PROJECT?
• ISARM
• 63rd session of the UN General Assembly
(UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/63/124 on
the Law of Transboundary Aquifers:
– “…encourages the States concerned to make
appropriate bilateral or regional arrangements for
the proper management of their transboundary
aquifers taking into account the provisions of the
draft articles...”

5. • In 2011, another Resolution A/RES/66/104,
adopted by the UNGA reiterates its call to States
to “make appropriate bilateral or regional
arrangements for the proper management of
their transboundary aquifers”
• Calls upon UNESCO-IHP to offer scientific and
technical assistance to the States concerned
• In June 2012, UNESCO IHP adopted Resolution
IC/XX-3 (Annex 1), which requests the UNESCO IHP
to continue the Study and Assessment of
Transboundary Aquifers and Groundwater
Resources and encourages Member States to
cooperate on the study of their transboundary
aquifers, with the support of the IHP.

6. UNESCO’s RESPONSE
• In response to the call, UNESCO-IHP has prepared a proposal
for a project "Groundwater Resources Governance in
Transboundary Aquifers" and submitted the proposal to the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) within
the frame of the SDC Strategic Framework 2010-2015
• SDC has provided a grant to prepare the project proposal
• Following the acceptance of the project proposal (Credit
Proposal) in February 2013, UNESCO IHP prepared the overall
project document in May 2013
• During the first half of 2013, UNESCO IHP met with major
stakeholders in all three aquifer regions to discuss local and
regional priorities and to prepare the case study specific
project documents

7. GOALS
• To enhance cooperation on water security,
• To reduce transboundary and water-use conflicts,
and
• To improve overall environmental sustainability in
TBA regions.

8. AIMS
• To reinforce the capacity of Member States in
managing groundwater resources;
• To strengthen cooperation among countries sharing
the aquifer; and
• To develop a long term strategy for the monitoring
and governance of the transboundary aquifer.

9. OUTCOMES
• Countries sharing the aquifer cooperate for the
sustainable management of the resources, and
• Agree to take steps to deal with its transboundary
implications through the political commitment to
define and implement national and regional priority
actions for the protection and equitable utilization of
the aquifers.

10. OBJECTIVES
• Improve the knowledge and recognition of the
importance and vulnerability of
transboundary groundwater resources,
• Strengthen cross‐border dialogue and
cooperation,
• Develop shared management tools; and
• Facilitate governance reforms focused on
improving livelihoods, economic development
and environmental sustainability.

11. HOW THE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED?
• Representativeness of different geological conditions,
climatic regions, and socio‐economic conditions,
• There had to be existing cooperation with the countries
and the IHP National Committees and favorable
support from National Institutions;
• Location in areas affected by water scarcity, and
vulnerable to climate change and variability;
• Possibilities to link the case studies’ in‐depth
assessment to projects being implemented by other
organisations of being considered for GEF funding; and
• Based on countries’ priorities.

12. SELECTED CASE STUDIES
• The Kalahari-Karoo (Stampriet) Aquifer, shared
by Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
• The Esquipulas‐Ocotepeque‐Citalá (Trifinio)
Aquifer, shared by El Salvador, Guatemala,
and Honduras
• The Pretashkent Aquifer, shared by
Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

14. TWO-STEP APPROACH
• Building recognition of the shared nature of
the resource, and mutual trust through joint
fact finding and science based diagnostics
(Component 1); and
• Reaching consensus on transboundary
governance mechanisms (Component 2).

15. COMPONENT 1
• Builds on Transboundary Waters Assessment
Programme (TWAP) methodology for the assessment
of TBAs,
• Encompasses hydrogeological, environmental, socio-
economic and governance dimensions of the aquifer
systems
• The aquifer sharing states in each TBA should agree on
a joint monitoring programme, which will be
harmonized in terms of classifications, reference
systems, language, format, software, etc., and lead to
the establishment of a common dynamic information
system.

16. COMPONENT 2
• Initiating the consultation process among
countries,
• Facilitating the process of agreeing on priority
issues, and
• Laying the foundations to establish
cooperation mechanisms among countries.
• PHASE 2 ?

17. Project Management Unit
UNESCO
Steering Committee
SDC, UNESCO,
Countries
Central America
Trifinio
Transboundary Aquifer
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
Central Asia
Pretashkent
Transboundary Aquifer
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Southern Africa
Stampriet
Transboundary Aquifer
Namibia, Botswana, South Africa
Regional Execution Team
(IUCN, UNESCO-IGRAC, Countries)
OAS
(Replication -
Dissemination)
UNESCO
Regional Offices
ISARM Network
Regional Execution Team
(UNESCO, UNESCO-IGRAC, Countries)
Regional Execution Team
(UNESCO, UNESCO-IGRAC, Countries)
SADC
(Replication -
Dissemination)
UNESCO
Regional Offices
ISARM Network
UNESCO
Regional Offices
ISARM Network
UNECE
(Replication -
Dissemination)
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18. Organization of the Management Unit and
Cross Cutting Functions
PROJECT MANAGER
SUPERVISORY GROUP
STREERING COMMITTEE
LEGAL ASPECTS
IMPLEMENTATION OF
INTRENATIONAL LAW AND
AGREEMENTS
(UNESCO, IUCN)
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
REMOTE SENSING AND
MODELING
(UNESCO-IGRAC)
Central America
Trifinio
Transboundary Aquifer
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
NTTG - MCCB
Central Asia
Pretashkent
Transboundary Aquifer
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
NTTG - MCCB
Southern Africa
Stampriet
Transboundary Aquifer
Namibia, Botswana, South Africa
NTTG - MCCB

19. WHY STAMPRIET?

20. LONG HISTORY OF COOPERATION
• Regional cooperation in the water sector was established in 2000 through
the Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses in the Southern Africa
Development Community.
• Of the 15 major river basins which are shared by two or more nations, 11
a Commission or Technical Committee.
• The Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources
Management (now in Phase III) and a Groundwater Programme as one of
its components.
• ISARM-SADC became operative in 2007 in a network covering all SADC
countries. By 2011 twenty-nine transboundary aquifer systems had been
identified and broadly described in the region.
• Resolution in 2007 by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) to
‘promote the institutionalisation of groundwater management by river
basin organisations.
• In 2008 the ISARM-SADC decided on the Kalahari-Karoo aquifer system as
the first pilot area in which to test transboundary aquifer management
principles.
• In 200the, the ORASECOM became the first river basin commission in
SADC to establish a Groundwater Technical Committee.
•